Masquerade
by 3shippergirls
Summary: A co-written fic by TeylaFan and fyd818. The team's relaxing vacation on Earth turns into a nightmare, particularly for one member of the team. . . RononTeyla
1. Chapter 1

_A/N:_ _This is a co-fic, written by the lovely and talented **fyd818** - and myself, **TeylaFan**. _

_Fyd came up with this whole idea, and I think it's a very good one! :D It's pretty complicated, but as long as you keep reading, you'll understand it all in the end! :P _

_Hey, it's fyd! Just wanted to say that I think it's been a lot of fun writing "Masquerade" so far, and I think you'll enjoy this -- our first of (hopefully!) many joint fics! And TeylaFan is being modest -- she's come up with some very good ideas herself! Thanks for reading! -hugs to all-  
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_

**- Masquerade -**

"Is Earth like it is portrayed in your movies?" Teyla Emmagan questioned as she followed John Sheppard down the halls of Atlantis toward the Gate room.

The Earth-native colonel hesitated a moment too long for Teyla's liking. "No," he finally said. "Not – totally. I mean, there aren't people chasing other people around in cars every day. Things don't blow up every other moment, and you don't have people chasing other people around with chainsaws or anything."

Teyla arched an eyebrow. "So it is only – similar to how it is in the movies?"

"Similar. Yes." He nodded emphatically as they entered the grand, airy Gate room. "But not the same."

Teyla and John's other two teammates, Ronon Dex and Dr. Rodney McKay, awaited them by the active Stargate. Ronon, Teyla's fellow Pegasus galaxy native, stood with a duffle bag slung casually over his shoulder. Rodney, however, stood with luggage and boxes all around him. He held his data pad in his hand, apparently making his way down a checklist.

"Come on, Rodney, you have everything." John snatched the data pad from his friend's hand. "It's not like you're going to Earth to save it or anything. We're on vacation."

Rodney made a peremptory snatch for his data pad, missed, and began to sulk. "But _just in case_ my intelligence is required to solve some great, dangerous situation. . ."

"Earth will have plenty of equipment which you can work with," John interrupted. "Come on, it's time to go."

Rodney sighed. He began to put straps over his shoulders and pick up things by their handles. Some of it he piled on his friends. "Okay. Let's go."

Teyla looked down at the object she held. Why would Rodney need a box of pens on Earth? Wasn't that where they were shipped from in the first place? But she didn't ask.

"Col. Sheppard assures me Earth is not like in the movies," Teyla told Ronon as he came to stand next to her. "But still. . ."

"Yeah. Me too." He stared at the open Gate and shook his head. "Strange place, Earth. Sometimes I wish I didn't know what I was getting ready to walk into. That Sheppard hadn't told me about it."

"I agree," Teyla admitted quietly. Then they stepped into the wormhole in tandem.

The ride was short, nothing at all relative to the vast amount of space they crossed between Atlantis and Earth. When they were deposited on the other side of the wormhole, they stepped out into a completely different world – literally and figuratively.

Instead of the light, pretty colors of Atlantis, harsh grey walls met their gazes. The Gate room was small and cramped, claustrophobic in comparison to Atlantis's.

"Welcome to Earth!" A tall man with dark hair that had gone mostly silver long ago met Teyla and Ronon halfway up the ramp. He shook hands with first Teyla, then Ronon. "I'm General O'Neill. It's a pleasure to finally meet you both face to face, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex." He addressed them each by name as he shook their hands. "I hope you enjoy your stay!"

Teyla smiled and relaxed a little at the general's warm, sincere welcome. "Thank you, General. We look forward to our time here."

Their leather bags, one apiece, were taken by two airmen. It was explained that their luggage would be taken straight to the surface, where a vehicle waited to drive them to the hotel where the team would be staying for the duration of their stay.

Next up came the obligatory visit to the infirmary, to ensure the four hadn't brought any contagious germs with them from the Pegasus galaxy. Teyla quietly and calmly submitted to the tests, performed by a smiling dark-haired doctor named Carolyn Lam. She chattered cheerfully about Earth in between questions about the Pegasus galaxy, and most particularly Teyla's people, the Athosians. Teyla liked the woman immediately.

The four team members called things to each other across the infirmary, then gathered in a central location once all the tests had been completed. They wanted to leave then, but had to wait until the results of the tests were back.

"What kind of markets do you have here?" Teyla asked. It wasn't that she was much of a shopper, but every now and then she liked to explore different worlds' bazaars. It was a new experience, and she often found new and unusual things.

Rodney held up one hand and ticked items off his fingers with the other. "Well, let's see. . . We have supermarkets, malls of all sizes, jewelry stores, clothes stores, shoe stores, convenience stores, hardware stores. . ."

John mock pulled out his hair and threw an infirmary pillow at his friend. "Zip it, McKay, we get it!"

Teyla felt her head spin slightly. "So many?" How big _was_ Earth, anyway? She was afraid to ask.

Ronon did it for her. "How big is this planet? How do you have _room_ for all this stuff?"

John chuckled and reclined on the bed he'd chosen next to the one where Ronon and Teyla sat side-by-sideand across from the one where Rodney perched. He settled his hands behind his head and his booted feet on the mattress so his knees were up in the air. "This is a big planet, folks. Even then, though, we don't have enough room – it's not so much that our planet is so _big_, just that there's so many people here. It's buy, buy, buy, sell, sell, sell. It's the way the economy works on this planet."

Teyla wondered if it was too late to go back home. From the look on Ronon's face, he was thinking the same thing.

Sheppard caught their frozen expressions of terror, and his features softened. "Hey, don't worry about it, guys. You're much safer here than in the Pegasus galaxy. Granted, we don't have a shield or anything – but I promise, it's safe."

"Famous last words," Rodney muttered.

John lifted his head to glare at the scientist, thenturned back to Ronon and Teyla. "We are on Earth to relax and get away from the pressures and perils of the Pegasus galaxy. We are here to have fun: to sightsee, and shop till we drop, and do all the other things you do when you come here for the first time. It _will_ be fun. I promise."

**-Earth-**

"I'm tired," Rodney complained. "Seriously, doesn't anyone else have Gate lag?"

Teyla was too excited to feel tired. She stared wide-eyed at the vast array of buildings and sights that surrounded and stretched before her, amazed at the variety and sizes of them all. "No, Rodney," she said distractedly.

Ronon stood next to her, eyes wide in a similar look of disbelief. Both of them had been to numerous market worlds in the Pegasus galaxy, but none even came close to equaling the wonders Earth had to offer.

"We need to catch a movie," John said absently. "That way you can see them how they're meant to be seen – on a _huge_ screen with the surround sound, stadium seating, and everything."

Ronon turned to watch the flow of traffic on the road next to them. Cars went back and forth both ways, rushing and honking their horns and flashing their lights, and. . . . It was like nothing Teyla had ever seen before. It was positively fascinating.

"What's wrong?" John asked. Apparently he'd seen the expression on her face.

"I am feeling _very_ insignificant right now," she whispered. "This place – is so large! There is so much to see."

"And so much to do," Rodney added. "You haven't lived until you've ridden in a taxi." He motioned vaguely to a passing yellow car that said "taxi" on a sign atop it.

"Yeah – or died in one," Sheppard muttered. "Taxi drivers drive like they own the road – and no one else is on it. They scare even me."

Teyla craned her neck, trying to see everything at once. "There are so many shops. So many places to eat. So many things to see!"

Rodney nodded enthusiastically. "Personally, I vote for food."

"Me too," Ronon agreed.

Teyla was shocked to realize she _was_ hungry. It had been a long time since breakfast on Atlantis. "I could eat," she confessed.

John rubbed his hands together. "Okay then, let's eat! Now then, we could have Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Tex-Mex, Thai, Japanese. . ."

Ronon lifted his hand to stop John. "Whoa. _Stop_. Just take us somewhere where we're halfway familiar with the food."

Teyla nodded. "I think I have had too many new experiences today."

John shrugged. "Sure."

**-Earth-**

Teyla sighed and climbed into bed in her hotel room. It was well after one in the morning, but she was happy. There had been so much she'd seen and done today – and John had promised more tomorrow! She could hardly wait. Now that she was here and actually experiencing all these new things, it was exciting instead of terrifying.

It was hard for her to believe that less than twenty-four hours ago, she'd still been on Atlantis. Now here she was, so far away from home, on a new planet. But she only missed home a little – mostly the sound of the ocean. The roar of traffic almost right outside her window wasn't as comforting.

But it didn't take her long to fall asleep, despite the slight fear still inside her. Earth was big, and still seemed so dangerous. . .

_-To Be Continued-_

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_Well, thanks for reading, hopefully you guys enjoyed it all! The next update will be soon, and we will try to update regularly so that you won't have to wait very long! :)  
If you did like this, we'd love to hear some feedback! :D Thanks! _


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer:** We own none of the Stargate franchise._

_A/N: Thanks for all of the lovely reviews for Chapter 1! :D And we hope you enjoy this chapter as well! :)_

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****Chapter 2:**

When Teyla awoke, she felt rested, and she had slept much better than she had expected. Even though she missed the sound of the ocean to fall asleep with, yesterday had been a long and tiring day, so she was relieved to have slept through the night.

The sun had only just come up, and was already shining brightly, lighting up her hotel room. She could hear birds singing outside, and Ronon's soft snoring coming from the room beside hers.

Craving a cup of tea, she showered and dressed quickly.

She was the first one to wake up. The others were all still in their beds, resting from yesterday's events. Looking at the clock hanging on the wall, she noted that it was still early, before 8.

The Atlantian days had been longer, and she was still getting used to these shorter days.

Teyla wondered what John and Rodney had planned for today. Yesterday they had gone through all of the debriefings and checkups, as expected. Dinner after that had been nice, and the food had been familiar.

She had enjoyed her time on Earth so far. She found it comforting that they were here, all four of them as a team, just like they were in the Pegasus Galaxy. She and Ronon could share their amusement about John and Rodney snarking back and forth over the strange things encountered on this unfamiliar planet.

The soft whistling of the kettle on the stove brought her mind back to the present, and Teyla quickly turned off the gas, before the sound could wake up the others.

The tea helped her wake and warm up. It was unlike the tea from Athos – but the same flavor as the one she liked best on Atlantis.

She heard Ronon's door opening, and she turned her head. He was still wearing his night clothing, which they had bought here on Earth yesterday after dinner. She had gotten a pair as well, but preferred her own – which Charin had made for her years back. It was her favorite color blue, and it meant a great deal to her.

"Good morning," she greeted, welcoming him with a warm smile.

"Morning," he responded, not quite awake enough yet to greet her with a smile of his own.

Ronon reached the breakfast table and sat down with a sigh, sagging in his chair. "You're early."

Teyla's smile widened, and she sipped her tea. "I am always early," she answered, a silence stretching between them. Ronon watched her for a while, the sun hitting her face. She looked rested and peaceful.

"Another busy day?" Ronon asked, his voice still sleepy.

"I do not know what John and Rodney have planned for today," she responded. "There are many things to do here… I would not know what to choose."

Ronon nodded. "Me neither. This place is huge, and we've only seen a small part of it…"

A grin appeared on his face suddenly. "Time to start the day," he said, getting to his feet. "Better wake up McKay and Sheppard."

Teyla chuckled softly, seeing him so childlike, and happy. He walked over to the room McKay and Sheppard were sharing on his toes, as quietly as he could muster in his excitement.

This hotel had been booked by the people John and Rodney worked for, and there had been a little misunderstanding regarding the rooms. It turned out that there were 3 rooms, with 4 beds. So last night when they had seen their rooms, and found one with two beds, there had been some argument.

Teyla got her own room for obvious reasons, but Rodney had been reluctant to share a room with John – because he 'needed some space every now and then' – or so he'd said.

Ronon won the argument in the end, getting the other single bedroom.

Hearing her chuckling, Ronon turned his head, winking at her. He opened the bedroom door carefully, and jumped slightly when the door creaked, but it didn't wake them up luckily.

Teyla stood up, walking over to Ronon on her tiptoes.

She watched as he smirked at her and jumped on John's bed.

John awoke instantly, instinct causing him to get into a defensive position, but when he realized that it was Ronon, he fell back on the mattress, groaning into his pillow.

Next was Rodney, and Ronon jumped from John's bed right onto Rodney's. Who took much longer to wake up… When he finally did, he cursed, trying to push Ronon away.

Teyla shook her head, chuckling. She turned back to the kitchen/living room and decided to make the boys some breakfast.

xxxxx

After an hour and a half, the men were all ready. Dressed and with their bellies full, the day was finally starting to get more active.

John had decided that he wanted to take them all out to go swimming. There was a huge swimming pool next to the hotel, and the weather was nice, so they had all agreed.

First they had to get new swimming clothing though.

Getting in the car, provided by Stargate command, they headed out to the mall.

**-The Mall-**

Ronon sighed when he tried on yet another – he'd lost count – pair of swimming pants. Just like the previous ones, this one was way too small as well. It was wide enough – but just too short. And he didn't like the color red at all.

Changing into his normal clothes, he stepped out of the dressing room.

Rodney and John had been helping Teyla, who refused to come out. "This looks ridiculous…" she stated from behind the curtain.

"Well… let us see!" John said, sighing.

Teyla pulled the curtain away, looking annoyed. She was wearing a brown bikini, which to Ronon – looked very nice. And John and Rodney seemed to agree, nodding approvingly.

"I don't see what's wrong with it," John shrugged.

Teyla sighed loudly, stepping back inside. "Very well. But if you are going to wear so little clothing – why wear it at all?" she asked.

John chuckled. "Things are a little different here, Teyla," he answered.

Ronon cleared his throat, holding up the swimming pants. His two team mates turned around, frowning. "Also too short?" John asked.

Ronon nodded, obviously fed up.

But – to everyone's relief, in the next shop, they found the perfect swimming pants for Ronon. Emerald green, to match his eyes, and just the right size.

So now that both Ronon and Teyla had their swim clothing, they were good to go.

**-Hotel, swimming pool-**

Ronon grinned, heading towards Teyla. She saw him coming, and raised her eyebrows, challenging him.

His grin only widened, and he swam faster. She was unable to keep herself from smiling while moving away. Ronon was much faster than she was because of his long arms. Reaching her, he grabbed her shoulders, giving her barely enough time to take a deep breath before dunking her.

Ronon heard John and Rodney laughing behind him as they headed towards them.

He let go of Teyla after only 2 seconds or so, and moved out of the way.

She surfaced with a smile on her face, and gave him a playful look. She moved towards him, catching his wrist before he was out of reach.

Pulling him back she called for backup. John and Rodney got there quickly, John jumping on his back, trying to push him under. Teyla went for his legs, swiping them out from under him, and Rodney pushing his head under.

No way he could win against all three of them. "Unfair…" he said when he surfaced again.

The four of them laughed, enjoying each other's company.

Teyla smiled at him and hit him playfully on his shoulder. "That is what you get for 'dunking' me," she said, her smile widening.

Ronon smiled back and gently picked her up, out of the swimming pool.

She laughed heartily, a sound that sounded so good to his ears. He wanted to hear her laugh more often, especially when caused by him.

Walking up the steps in the pool, out of the water, he put Teyla down.

They stayed in the sun for some time longer, with drinks to accompany them. After that, they got dressed, and went out to get some dinner.

**-Car-**

John was driving, with Rodney next to him in the front. John had put on the radio, and there was happy music playing in the car.

"So, what you do guys want to eat tonight?" John asked, looking back at Ronon and Teyla.

Ronon shrugged. "What were you talking about last night? That sounded good to me," he answered.

Rodney groaned. "Not pizza!"

John nodded. "Oh yeah, that's right, pizza," he said, smiling. "You guys are going to love that – trust me."

Ronon shrugged again. "Fine by me," he answered.

"Teyla?" John asked.

"Pizza sounds good," she answered.

"Alright. Pizza it is," John said, grinning like a schoolboy.

"Well?" Rodney asked, looking annoyed. "Aren't you going to ask me?"

"Nope," John answered.

Rodney mumbled a few incomprehensible things.

They were on a long road, with only one other car on it. A black Jeep, with tinted windows so you couldn't see who was in it. John saw something shiny lying on the road in the distance, but ignored it – it was probably nothing.

As he got closer – he could see many more things reflecting in the light of the lanterns next to the road.

Nails.

Trying to avoid them at the last minute – warning the other occupants in the car – he turned the wheel sharply to the right, but it had been too late. The left tires drove over a couple of nails, the air gushed out of them, sending the car spinning.

Teyla gasped, and tried to hold onto something.

The car kept spinning, and Teyla wasn't sure if they were even on the road any longer. A flash of green reached her eyes, and then the car crashed into something.

She was sent forward so fast, that she couldn't bring her arms up in time to protect herself. Her head hit the chair in front of her hard, and she blacked out for a few seconds, the hit disorientating her senses.

She reached up with a hand to touch her forehead, and it came back bloody. Panicked, she turned to her right, her head turning too fast, causing her vision to go double.

Teyla blinked frantically, trying to see clearly.

Ronon was slumped against the chair in front of him as well, his eyes open and dazed.

"Ronon?" she whispered, reaching out to him.

He frowned, his eyes moving towards her. He looked at her for a moment, like he didn't recognize her.

"Teyla?" he finally whispered back, his hand finding hers and he squeezed it softly.

Then his eyes closed, and his grip loosened.

Teyla gasped, squeezing his hand and pulling it. "Ronon?! Please – you have to stay awake…" she whispered.

She saw light suddenly, flashlights coming from behind the car. She turned her attention away from Ronon for a moment, trying to find the source of the light.

She could hear voices now as well, all men, she thought.

They reached the car, and opened her door. She groaned when the flashlight shone directly into her eyes, pain ripping through her head.

"She's still alive," one of the voices said. "Let's bring her."

Teyla frowned. She had initially thought they were here to help them, but now she was beginning to doubt. She felt arms around her waist, pulling her out of the car. She tried her best to struggle, but she felt so weak, and dazed. When she was out of the car, one of the men picked her up, carrying her away.

"No…" she whispered, trying to hit him.

She turned her head, looking at Ronon's still form one last time. She reached out with her arm to him, and told him she loved him so quietly, she couldn't even hear her own voice.

Her eyelids were drooping, and she fought to keep them open, but failed. The image of Ronon was the last thing she saw before she passed out, and in her mind she kept repeating that she loved him, praying to the Ancestors that he would be alright.

_-To Be Continued-_

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_Thanks for reading! :D_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thank you once more for all the wonderful reviews for the last chapter, and we hope you enjoy this one!_

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**-Chapter 3-**

Ronon still felt like he was spinning. Though he wasn't entirely sure if the motion was in his head, or if the car was still going around. And around. And around.

His hand instinctively twitched, feeling for the small warm one that had been there when the world had faded to black.

_Teyla!_ Ronon lifted his head and snapped open his eyes, then cringed when the dim dome light jabbed hot knives of pain into his head. He groaned and closed his eyes, waiting for the nausea and dizziness to pass before he tried again to find her.

He squinted. In the driver's seat, flung back against the backrest, Sheppard sat limp. In the seat which Ronon had banged his head against, McKay sat with his head against the window, also unconscious.

Ronon very carefully turned his head to the left and looked for Teyla in the glow of the dome light. Her door was open to the cool Colorado Springs evening air, and there was a smudge of blood on the back of Sheppard's seat, but no Teyla. His concern grew by the moment, and he pushed open his door and stepped out. _Whoa_. They'd side-swiped a tree, and McKay's door was still jammed up against it. Fortunately, McKay seemed to be okay.

Dex felt something warm and sticky on the side of his face. _Blood_. He reached up his hand and absently wiped it away. "Teyla!" he called. "Teyla, are you here?" It seemed like a bit of a stupid question, since he couldn't see her. Maybe she'd gone for help. It was a possibility, at the least.

Ronon kept one hand on the car to steady his steps as he moved around the vehicle to Sheppard's door. He yanked it open and gave his team leader a cursory glance. No blood, he must be okay. "Sheppard! Sheppard, wake up!"

The colonel snapped awake and blinked owlishly. "What?" he demanded. Then he looked around, and seemed to remember what happened. "There's – car wreck was deliberate." He rubbed his forehead, saw no blood, and looked up at Ronon. "You okay? Teyla?"

Ronon shook his head. "Don't know about Teyla – she's not here." He swallowed back the concern that comment brought him. But, now that Sheppard said the wreck was deliberate. . . "Door was open when I came to. She's not here. Put the pieces together."

Sheppard stared at him blankly for a moment. Then everything seemed to dawn on him at once. He turned and tapped McKay's arm. "McKay!"

The scientist jerked a little and groaned. "What – hit us?"

"Nothing." Sheppard reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "We weren't in a car _accident_. Someone wrecked us. Teyla's gone."

That seemed to pull McKay out of his remaining stupor. "Gone? What d'you mean, _gone_?"

Ronon clung to the car door. His legs felt extremely unsteady, and his stomach was beginning to pitch again. He was almost sure he had a concussion, but he wasn't going to admit it. "She's not here. Put the pieces together, McKay. Someone wrecked us, and Teyla's gone." He clenched his teeth. _Whoever this is, they planned it all along. Ancestors, we should have stayed home on Atlantis! Then this never would have happened._

Sheppard pushed at Ronon until he moved, then climbed out of the car and leaned back against it. He spoke low and quick into his cell phone – presumably to someone at the SGC. Or maybe Earth's equivalent of Atlantis's medical response teams – EMT's? Ronon's fuzzy mind wasn't sure if that was the correct term, but it was close enough.

McKay crawled out behind Sheppard and joined Ronon in clinging to the car door. He muttered an epithet that was more than half a prayer. "We're a mess," he groaned.

Ronon waited for the world to hold still again before he let go of the door and turned to walk down the road. Logic told him whoever had taken Teyla was long gone by now, but he couldn't just sit and wait for something to show up. He had to look for her, and _now_. Granted, he had no idea where he was going. But he needed to find somewhere with the resources he'd need to find Teyla.

And his gun. He'd need his gun, to shoot the person (or persons) who'd taken her.

Sheppard caught up to him, grabbed his arm, and spun him. "Whoa, buddy, where are you going?"

Ronon clutched Sheppard's arm when the sudden turn made his head whirl again. "To find Teyla," he said with determination. But, as if in defiance, his knees buckled and he sank to his knees. He felt sick again.

"Whoa, Ronon, take it easy." Sheppard went down hard with him and clutched Ronon's shoulders to hold him up. "You've got a concussion!" he accused. "You can't go off half-cocked looking for her like this."

Ronon pushed Sheppard's hands away and struggled to stand again, single-minded purpose driving him to do dangerous things. But his well-being didn't matter in the face of Teyla's being gone, subjected to Ancestors-only-knew what. "Can't just leave her out there," he argued. "Who knows what they wanted her for. She could be—" He shut his lips and refused to voice the thought. He turned and began to walk, though it was more like a half-stagger. _I have to find her. I love her – I have to find her and tell her. I've waited too long already. . ._

Sheppard caught up to him again, but this time he just took Ronon's arm instead of spinning him around. "You stubborn man! If I have to tie you up to keep you here, you _are_ going to wait for that ambulance to come, and you _are_ going to the hospital!" His voice softened. "C'mon, Ronon, we don't even know if she was kidnapped."

Ronon growled. "That's just a flimsy excuse. You _know_ she was." He pushed his team leader away, but didn't try to get up again. If he did, he knew he was going to hurl. Or pass out. Or both. "I shouldn't go to th' hospital. I'm an alien, 'member?" Was his voice actually that slurred, or was it just him?

Apparently it wasn't just him, for Sheppard was eyeing him with thinly-veiled suspicion. It was almost like the Earth native expected the Satedan to pass out at any moment. "Good thing you're not going to the hospital. You're going to the SGC infirmary."

"But you jus' said. . ." Ronon trailed off, too out of it to argue further.

"I know what I said. You know what I mean."

"I'm concussed," Ronon garbled.

"That you are," McKay agreed.

"Ugh," he groaned. The pounding behind Ronon's drooping eyelids now reminded him of Athosian ceremonial drums. They were pounding rhythm in his brain to match the far-off wail of a siren – the ambulance? Yes – to take him to the SGC. Or the hospital.

But he didn't want to go. "I need to find Teyla," he growled. "The longer we wait, the further away they'll take her. . ." The world tipped, and he clenched his eyes shut. In this condition he'd be no help to her, but he couldn't resist believing that he was failing her.

"As soon as we get to the SGC and get checked out, I promise we'll start looking, Ronon. But we're no help to her if we're all beat up and not thinking straight. She needs us in top shape, thinking clearly. It's okay, we'll find her. I just talked to the General, and he's already got some of the best people in the world on it."

That was the last thing Ronon remembered hearing before he passed out again.

**-Unknown location - Earth-**

Teyla woke to the smells of antiseptic cleaners; an astringent, moldy odor; and something else unidentifiable but vaguely musty.

_Where am I?_ She groped in the dark recesses of her mind, trying to remember the events leading up to this moment. For a moment she remembered nothing.

Then came the almost overwhelming memory of the crash: the sound of the tires popping; the remaining two squealing across the pavement; and the crunch of metal as it crashed. Then. . .

_Ronon!_ She remembered the trickle of blood on the side of his face, and the way he'd been slumped against the seat in front of him. _Oh, Ancestors, please let him be okay!_

More memories rushed into her mind. The light, the voices. Ronon passing out again, and the men dragging her away from him. And again, she thought: _Where am I?_

Teyla took a moment to run a mental check of her body. Her head ached, and something sticky felt like it had matted her hair to her face, but she could move everything without any major pain. Nothing broken, then. She looked down at her arm, which she was surprised to find was confined against her side, and found another thin trail of blood on her bicep. _They removed my locater chip._ Panic began to ooze past the tightly-controlled confines of her mind. She swallowed back her sudden, irrational urge to scream. Instinct told her there would be no one to hear except those who wished her harm.

And she knew if they took her by such violent means, they had to mean her harm.

A door across the room she'd overlooked opened to admit a short, balding man who looked like he'd had a few too many drinks and not enough exercise. "Miss Emmagan, welcome back to the land of the living."

Teyla resist the urge to recoil. "Where am I?" she demanded. "Where is the rest of my team?"

The man in the white lab coat like Dr. Beckett's clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Miss Emmagan, Miss Emmagan. You're not in some Wraith or Genii stronghold, you're on Earth. You're safe here."

"If I am safe, why did you hurt my friends and take me?" She spoke with as much iron control in her voice as she could.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself first, if you're going to keep questioning me. I'm Dr. Ethan Conrad. Welcome to Earth." He crossed his arms and gave her a smug grin.

She wanted to get off the bed – which she now realized was a gurney – and punch him in his arrogant face. If she had not been tied down, she would have. "Why am I here?"

Conrad put his hands behind his back and began to pace. His wire-rimmed glasses slid down his narrow nose as he shook his head. "My, my, I can see we're going to get nowhere until I answer at least a few of your questions." He stopped, spun to face her, and grinned again. Though 'grin' was not the correct term for the contortion of his lips: _sneer_ would be a better description. The perfect straightness of his teeth contrasted to their yellowed color. "As for your first question – I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to reveal that information to you. Not yet, at least. Concerning your teammates: as far as I know, they're perfectly fine. The men who took you were instructed not to harm them further than what damage the crash did." He began to pace again. Back and forth, back and forth. "Now then, why are you here? Hmm. . . I suppose I can explain that best by saying, if I may be frank, that we are _fascinated_ by you. You have lived your entire life in the Pegasus Galaxy, and thus are familiar with the Wraith. You've also lived quite a few years in Atlantis. You hold knowledge of a many number of things we couldn't hope to know about before you came along." His eyes glittered at her in unholy excitement. "Now then, does that answer your questions?"

Teyla swallowed hard. "What are you going to do to me?" She was _almost_ certain she remembered John or Rodney mentioning to her that the Earthlings – most of them, anyway – didn't use methods of torture to withdraw information. However, she wouldn't put anything past this character.

Conrad studied her quietly. "I would explain the whole process to you, my dear, but I'm afraid you wouldn't remember it later. So why waste my breath now?" He paused next to a table and picked up a syringe laying there. He held it up to the light and flicked it, making the amber liquid inside quiver.

A jolt of fear as acute as electric shock shot through Teyla. She clenched her teeth and her hands, determined not to show her terror outwardly. Showing her fear would allow this enemy to win, and if that happened. . .

The doctor (whose status as such she had her doubts) approached her and held up the syringe. "Good night, Miss Emmagan. When you wake, I promise your life will be much better."

The needle sank deep into her arm, and she bit back a fresh urge to scream. Darkness pulled at her vision, sucking her into a tunnel of nightmares as she clung to one last desperate thought. _No, no, no, Ronon, please, where are you?_

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_Yes, we are evil. . . Hope you enjoyed, next update should be soon!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: A thousand apologies for this update to be so late: lack of time and (fyd's) inability to log in has wreaked havoc upon our ability to update. But hopefully we'll be able to get the next chapter up sooner!_

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**-Chapter 4-**

Conrad watched as Miss Emmagan lost consciousness, her head falling limply to the side. He pulled the needle out of her arm, and threw it in the trashcan.

They had gathered all of the necessary equipment they needed for their plan, and today they would find out if it would work.

All of her memories of her childhood had to disappear completely, the ones of Atlantis just faded – because they need her to remember them subconsciously to gather the necessary information.

Her team mates would come looking for her, no doubt about that. But now that her locator chip had been removed, the chance of them finding her was almost none existent.

He made the call**:** she was ready.

**-SGC: infirmary-**

Ronon heard distant voices, and a steady beep from somewhere next to him.

His own heartbeat, he realized. The infirmary… He cursed inwardly; it had to be because he passed out, he'd been brought to the SGC. Who knew how long he had been unconscious, wasting precious time that Teyla couldn't afford to lose.

Teyla… his love, kidnapped. The question was, why? Ronon couldn't think of a reason why anybody here on Earth would want to take her. Everything that happened in the Pegasus galaxy was classified, that ordinary citizens would never even know about.

Which meant there were people on the inside who had done this, because they needed Teyla for whatever reason.

They should have never come to Earth. Sheppard had assured them that it was safe here, at least – from the Wraith.

All those years of surviving in the Pegasus Galaxy, fighting against the Wraith… They come here; where there are no Wraith, and Teyla gets kidnapped… he couldn't even think of the possibility that she was no longer alive.

Until he saw her with his own eyes, that she was dead – or alive, he would keep searching. Whatever it took.

Ronon opened his eyes, preparing himself for the pain, but it didn't come. The lights were dimmed, and he was probably on painkillers. Turning his head, he found that Sheppard and McKay weren't occupying the beds next to him.

So they hadn't been hurt too severely.

He sat up slowly, careful not to move quickly, because that would only cause more dizziness. Looking around, he saw the same doc that had checked him when he first came here.

He didn't remember her name though. His mind was still so blurry.

"Doc?" He called, barely loud enough for her to hear.

She looked up, surprised that he was awake, and stood up. She walked out of her office, and towards him.

"Ronon, I thought you would still be out for another hour or so," she said, checking his vitals.

"Where are Sheppard and McKay?" he asked.

The doctor frowned. "I believe that they're in a meeting with their superiors," she answered. "You're doing much better already, but I want you to lie down again before your head injury gets worse."

Ronon shook his head. "I'm fine, I have to go and find Teyla," he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"Whoa – stop," she warned. "You're not going anywhere," she said.

Ronon frowned, was she _serious?_

"Look – you _have_ to take some time to recover… Don't make me sedate you," she warned.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, that made him chuckle. She reminded him of Teyla, because whenever he wouldn't listen to her, she'd threaten to hit him with her bantos rod.

And she had – several times.

Like when they were meditating. The first time that he'd fallen asleep, she had simply walked away, and let him sleep.

But during their sparring session the next day – she'd gotten him back good. He had apologized, and she had forgiven him without any further thought, like she always did.

When she had gotten sick because of the whales, he had stayed by her bedside, trying to cheer her up, and telling her to hang in there.

And she had.

He came back the next day, when she was meditating again. What she didn't know then, was that he just wanted to spent time with her, because he felt _right_ when he was around her. She had all of the qualities that he didn't.

She was kind, patient and had the ability to forgive just about anyone. No matter what they did to her.

But they had lots in common as well. They were both skilled warriors, survivors. They were silent, letting actions speak louder than words.

She meant so much to him, and it would kill him in every way that the Wraith couldn't if she was gone.

"Ronon?!"

He blinked, the memories fading away, replaced with the image of the doctor standing in front of him. She looked worried, and slightly annoyed – though she tried not to show that.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

Ronon nodded. "Like I said, I'm fine. I just have to get out of here."

She sighed. "I'll go and call Colonel Sheppard to let him know you're awake. But I'm not releasing you just yet," she added, walking away.

She halted in the door opening, turning her head. "Lie down Ronon, and rest. That way you'll be out of here in no time," she said, walking out of the infirmary.

Ronon sighed. He _was_ starting to feel nauseous… not that he would tell her that.

He slumped back against the mattress, closing his eyes just for a second.

**-Earth, unknown location-**

"Teyla?"

Teyla frowned, opening her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" someone asked from beside her.

She turned her head to see a man in a white lab coat. He smiled in a friendly way at her. "The simulation for today went well. All I have to do is take a blood test, just to check if everything is alright. Like we always do, and then you're free to go home early," he finished, still smiling at her.

She nodded, a name coming to her. "Thank you… Dr. Conrad," she answered, smiling back carefully.

"Everything alright?" he asked, frowning slightly.

She nodded hastily. "Yes, I am fine," she assured.

"Alright," he said. "Could you stretch your arm for me, and make a fist?"

She did as he asked, and watched as he expertly took some of her blood. It didn't hurt at all, just a slight prick when the needle penetrated her skin.

"All done," he said, pressing a small pad of cotton-wool against her vein, and secured it with a piece of tape.

"Thank you," she said, getting up from the bed. She halted, thinking for a moment where she left her clothes.

Dr. Conrad frowned again, looking at her questioningly.

She pretended not to notice, and walked over to the dressing room. Teyla felt embarrassed for forgetting where it was, and she hoped that he would simply forget about it.

Changing into her normal clothes, she threw the hospital gown in the laundry basket, and headed home.

**-Teyla's apartment -**

Stepping out of the elevator, she turned right, checking the numbers silently.

"Teyla! You're home early."

Teyla turned around, seeing her friend Heather standing in the door of her apartment.

"Hi," she greeted, walking to her.

Heather stepped aside, inviting her in. Teyla smiled at her, and entered the main room. "Would you like a cup of tea?" she asked, walking in the kitchen.

Teyla nodded. "Yes, thank you. Tea sounds wonderful." She walked into the living room, sitting down on the suede brown couch. She heard Heather humming softly, and she smiled. Heather was always cheerful.

Heather had blond hair, which she usually wore in a ponytail. Her sea blue eyes made her look innocent, something that had always been handy for her in high school. She and Heather had the same size in clothes, and often borrowed stuff from each other.

"So," Heather said, coming to sit next to her, and handing her a steaming cup of tea. "Short day," she said.

Teyla nodded. "Yes, only a short session planned for today. Tomorrow will be a longer one," she answered.

"Alright, well – nice that you have to rest of the day off today."

Teyla nodded again, leaning back against the couch. "How about you?"

Heather smiled. "I have the whole week off," she answered. "I've been working too much lately, and the boss wants me to take a break."

"Sounds good," Teyla commented. "Any plans?"

Heather shook her head. "Nope, just fun stuff."

They chatted for some time longer, just girl talk. Teyla left at 5, to make dinner. She wanted to go to bed early tonight, feeling tired.

Tomorrow would be a longer day, and the sessions could be very tiring. She did not regret her decision to be a test person for the simulations. They were important, and the results were promising. Teyla was happy with her job, working for the IOA. She had been working there for almost 5 years now, and she was hoping for a promotion again soon.

As she made dinner for herself, her thoughts wandering, she thought she saw something in the steam coming from the stove. It was one of the people from the simulations.

She shook her head, and opened the window even wider, the steam disappearing. A headache quickly formed, and she took an aspirin, and turned on the television. That would take her mind off work.

She went to bed right after dinner. She tossed and turned all night, dreaming of things she had never seen before, people whom she didn't know, and places she had never been too.

Or so she thought.

_-To Be Continued-_

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_Yes, we're still very evil. LOL We hope you enjoyed this chapter, and we should hopefully have the next chapter should be up soon!_


	5. Chapter 5

_We both apologize a million times for how long it's taken us to update this! We've both had to concentrate on our real lives recently, but hopefully you won't have to wait so long before the next update. We'll try to get it up much sooner. Hope you enjoy, thank you so much for your patience!_

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-**Chapter 5**-

Ronon woke to the faces of two of his teammates hovering over him. He sat up quickly and ignored the retaliatory throb his head gave. "What's going on?"

John ducked back a little to keep from getting smacked when his teammate sat up. "Ronon, it's okay." He motioned for Dex to lie down again.

Ronon stubbornly pushed himself into a full sitting position. "You found Teyla?" Hope sprang up in his chest.

Sheppard and McKay exchanged loaded looks. "No-o-o-o," the latter said slowly.

He resisted the urge to scream. "What about her locator chip?"

Sheppard shook his head slowly. "We found it. The signal led us to a junkyard in rural Arizona." He didn't say any more, but the words unspoken hung heavy in the air. _She wasn't there._

_At least she wasn't lying there dead. _Ronon scrubbed his hands down his face. "They took it out, so we couldn't find her." It didn't take a genius to know that. "But why?"

"I don't know." McKay shifted nervously and tucked his hands in his pockets. Ronon noticed for the first time that a square white self-adhesive bandage was stuck to his forehead, where it had been leaning against the glass – last night? "At this point, I think it's fairly safe to say she's still alive. But I also think it's safe to say this was no random kidnapping. We're dealing with someone who knows what they're doing – and what _we're_ doing, if you know what I mean."

"This has to do with Atlantis, and her knowledge about our enemies. Maybe even her Wraith DNA." He looked around for the clothes he'd been wearing. "Where are my clothes?"

Sheppard exchanged another uncomfortable look with McKay. "Ronon, I don't know if. . ."

"Teyla is out there somewhere, and I am _not_ going to lie here waiting when she may be—" He clamped his lips against the words and tossed the blanket covering him off, thankful for infirmary pajamas. "Now get me some clothes, or I'm going out barefoot in these clothes, and I don't care if I draw everyone's attention." He glared.

Sheppard held up his hands in surrender and reached for the chair behind him. "I had a feeling you were going to be like that. I had hoped not, but. . . Here. I got some of your clothes. We'll bust you out."

Ronon snatched his clothes. "Thanks." He pointed to the door. "I'll meet you outside in two minutes."

**-Earth – Teyla's apartment-**

Teyla opened her eyes as the image of a room with brightly colored windows faded from her mind. She rolled over and turned off her alarm, then fell back against her pillows and groaned.

She'd barely slept the night before, so plagued was she by these strange dreams. They included people she'd never met – except in the simulations – and places she'd never been – except, also, in the simulations. She wondered briefly if these dreams could be a side effect of the testing, but decided not to discuss them with Dr. Conrad. She climbed out of bed and went to put a pot of water on the stove to boil before running to take a quick shower.

As the warm water beat against her tense back, shoulder, and neck muscles, she thought again about the dreams she'd had. Most of them were fragmented, with different people and places in them. Except. . . One person – one _man_ – was in most of them.

Tall, broad-shouldered, strong. A very attractive smile, mesmerizing green eyes, a strongly beautiful face. His name in the simulations was Ronon – in her dreams? The same. And there was something about him, his character in the simulations that carried over to her dreams, that drew her to him. He was more than fascinating, more than handsome. It was like. . . She was _supposed_ to love him.

_That's crazy._ Teyla shook her head and rubbed coconut-scented shampoo into her hair. _I have been a part of these simulations for a very long time, and this is the first time I've had a dream. So I haven't had a date in – three years?_ Had it really been that long? She couldn't remember exactly. _I think I need to find myself one. Otherwise, I'm going to keep thinking I'm in love with a simulation. A very – attractive – simulation, but a fabrication of reality nonetheless._

She was going crazy. The simulations were doing something to her mind, making her remember them even when she was trying out the training scenarios. She wasn't anywhere close to United States Air Force material, but she'd always been good at running computer simulations at her old job with the government, and then the IOA had contacted her with this job offer. She hadn't looked back, or regretted the decision.

Until now.

Teyla turned and allowed the water to sluice over her head to rinse her hair. _I love my job. I love my life. Why am I complaining?_

She shut off the water, quickly toweled herself, and dressed in a robe before running to check on her tea. She caught the pot just as it whistled and slid it off the burner as she flipped the heat off. She poured the hot water into a cup and dunked in a packet of tea. Then she left it to steep as she went to dry her hair.

While she blow dried, she stared at herself in the mirror. Other than dark circles under her eyes, she looked okay. Thin and short but well-proportioned, pretty gold-brown hair, caramel skin, exotic dark eyes. . .

_Exotic?_ The description had randomly popped into her mind, and she remembered someone calling them that before. . . Maybe an ex-boyfriend. Yes, that made sense.

_I really need to get a date._ She chuckled and leaned forward to toss her hair over her head so she could brush it forward and dry it underneath. _Maybe I'll have Heather see if she can set me up on a blind date. She's good at that._ She stood and shook her hair, making a face at the puffy halo around her face. She tipped her head back now and brushed some more, trying to smooth the golden strands.

Then. . . _What's that?_ She turned off the drier and leaned closer to the mirror, sweeping her hair off her forehead with her other hand. A small lump, still sore to the touch, stood out against her skin. She'd hit her head sometime.

_What?_ She took two steps back from the mirror, feeling like she'd seen a ghost. _Did I fall out of bed last night and not remember? Or does this have something to do with the simulations?_

She pulled the shoulder of her robe down to again look at the small, newly-scabbed over cut on her left bicep. It seemed like she remembered getting it yesterday – but the memory was slightly fuzzy. . .

_I'm losing my mind._

Teyla ran into the bedroom and picked up the phone, then set it back down as her heart calmed. She was just tired, and had been working far too hard lately. She knew that.

Maybe she should request a few days off when she went in today. Like Heather, she'd been working too hard. And she hadn't taken a vacation in over a year. Maybe she was due for one.

_After this simulation,_ she promised herself as she sipped her tea. The brew calmed her, and she sat down at the table to nibble on her toast and drink her tea. _After this round of simulations are over, I'll take some time off. Maybe Heather and I can do some shopping. Watch a few chick flicks. Just relax._ She let out her breath and nodded. _That's what we'll do._

But still, at the back of her mind, something bothered her about all this. . . Especially that small bump on her forehead.

_It's nothing,_ she told herself firmly. _Absolutely nothing. . ._

**-Earth – SGC-**

"The most natural assumption would be the IOA," McKay said as he flipped a page and started to read again.

All three men had copies of the SGC's report of the car accident. The details were very straightforward and meticulously recorded, but as of yet there was nothing that would provide any clues to Teyla's kidnapping.

"You know," John said, "I think we have a few other enemies out there than the IOA. Just because you've got a personal vendetta against them because they stopped you from experimenting on that – generator thing – we found on. . ." His words came slower and slower until he finally stopped talking.

"What?" Ronon leaned across the table, trying to see what had caught Sheppard's attention.

"Just – I don't know." He rubbed his hands through his hair and shook his head. "This is getting us nowhere. But without her locator chip, and without evidence to tell us who took her and where, we're stuck."

"Yeah." Ronon hated being stuck. Especially when Teyla – her sanity, if not her life and more – stood to be lost. "There's got to be something here, though. No one's that good. They've got to have done something wrong, dropped something or left _something_ to tell us where they took her. Or at least who they are."

"There's nothing." McKay rubbed his eyes tiredly. "We've been over this file too many times to count. There's _nothing_ here."

Ronon pushed away from the table and paced, unable to sit still any longer. Teyla was out there, somewhere. This was a completely unfamiliar world, where the rules were different. But one core thing stayed the same: the Earthlings could be as ruthless as any of the other enemies the Atlantians had faced. He doubted they'd be nice to her to get information. He had to rescue her before she ceased to be the Teyla Emmagan he knew – and yes, loved. Or before she simply ceased to _be._

"At this point, I don't care. I say we just get in the car and start _driving_. It doesn't matter where we go, what we do. We just go do something to _look._" It was, granted, a weak argument. He'd made the plea in a moment of desperation, because he was selfish enough to want Teyla back. He was selfish enough to not care what happened to Atlantis, or the Pegasus Galaxy, or him. He just wanted Teyla back, and more than anything, _safe._

John and Rodney stared at him with tired, defeated eyes.

Ronon shook his head and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Sheppard called after him.

"My head hurts again. And – I'm going for a walk. Anything to keep from going over that file again."

As soon as he was out in the empty hall, he leaned back against the wall and covered his face with his hands.

_Ancestors, _where_ is she? Please keep her safe. . ._

To Be Continued


	6. Chapter 6

_It hasn't been quite as long this time, but it's still been a while. . . Here's the next update! We hope you enjoy!_

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-Chapter 6-

Teyla finished her breakfast, and got her things. She looked at her watch, only 10 minutes left. She had been so caught up in her thoughts, worrying about that bump, and the cut on her left bicep… The memory was too fuzzy; every time she tried to focus, to just _remember_… her head would start to throb.

She halted at the door, to check everything one last time, then closed it and locked it.

She pressed the elevator button repeatedly, impatient for it to open. Everything always seemed to go in slow-motion when she was in a hurry.

The elevator taking forever… the traffic-lights all turning red…

Teyla sighed. She really did need a vacation. All of this stress couldn't be good for her. After this session she was going to stop by Dr. Conrad's office, to ask him if she could take a week off.

She was pretty sure he would agree. Why wouldn't he? She hadn't taken a day off for what seemed like an eternity.

**-Earth, unknown location-**

Teyla was out of breath by the time she reached the dressing room. She looked at her watch again, 5 minutes late.

Well… she was never late, so she didn't expect any trouble. She changed into the hospital gown in record time, and quickly entered the 'Simulation room.'

Dr. Conrad was already present, sitting at his desk, writing.

He turned and smiled at her. That smile always gave her goose bumps… She wasn't quite sure why, because he seemed friendly enough. But there was just something Teyla couldn't quite describe. Something that she didn't trust about him, which was odd, cause she couldn't remember feeling that way about him before.

"Teyla," he greeted, his smile widening.

She managed to not show her inner battle, and smiled back at him. "Doctor."

He motioned towards the bed, getting up from his chair.

Teyla stepped towards the bed and hopped up, her legs swinging over the side. Doctor Conrad hooked her up to all of the machines, wires everywhere.

"Doctor," Teyla started. "Could I talk to you for a moment after this session?" She asked.

Dr. Conrad frowned. "Sure Teyla, no problem. Should I be concerned?" he asked, his frown deepening.

She shook her head quickly. "No, no, I am fine," she assured him.

The doctor nodded. "Alright. Lie down please."

Teyla did as he asked, lying back on the bed. He hovered over her, checking all of her vitals. She could hear her heartbeat increasing, from the beeping of the hart monitor, though she wasn't sure why. She was never nervous about these sessions**;** maybe in the beginning, but she had been doing this for a while now, and she had absolutely no reason to be nervous.

She suspected it had something to do with Dr Conrad. He just seemed different… In the beginning she had liked him; he was friendly, and kind to her. But now it felt like he was hiding something…

She sighed softly. She was worrying over nothing; he had never given her any reason not to trust him. All she needed was a break, to relax for a while, away from work.

"Teyla?"

Teyla almost jumped, barely managing to hide it at the last moment. "Yes?"

Dr. Conrad was sitting again, his hand on her upper arm. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head again. "Nothing," she answered, managing a small smile. "Really, I am fine. Just tired," she said, forcing herself to look into his eyes.

He stared at her for a moment. Chills ran up her spine, but she didn't look away.

Finally, he nodded. "Okay then, let's get started."

**-Earth, SGC-**

Standing there in the deserted hallway, Ronon sighed. All he could think of was Teyla, and he wouldn't mind that normally – but these thoughts weren't exactly happy ones. She was missing, taken from them.

He knew that Sheppard and McKay were right. It wouldn't help much if they just started looking. Earth was big, bigger than any planet in the Pegasus Galaxy.

Could it really be the IOA that had done this? Who were supposed to be on _their_ side…?

Not that he had ever really trusted them, but after his meeting, that everyone fussed about… He'd been pleased that it went well, just by being himself.

Ronon would've never guessed that they could be responsible for this. The people of the IOA that he had seen, were people who sat behind their desks every day. Who weren't even capable of defending themselves.

But of course – they had the money and the power, so they could easily hire people to do their dirty work for them.

He sighed again. This was just wasting time… He should get back in there and start going through the files again. Anything for Teyla.

Ronon could only pray that she was still alive – and hopefully, unharmed.

**-Earth, unknown location-**

Teyla woke abruptly; it was always odd coming out of the simulation.

Seeing all of those people again, in the simulation, was slightly disconcerting. They seemed so familiar, and real. And because she was starting to see them in her dreams as well, it was as if she really _knew_ them.

She took a deep breath, calming herself.

Dr. Conrad was still in the room, sitting next to her. He always gave her a moment or two to collect herself.

Teyla sat up, pulling her hair back. She held out her arm, because Dr. Conrad already had the needle prepped.

He chuckled softly, because this was a routine for them, she didn't even need instructions anymore. He gently extracted some of her blood, this time from her left arm, because her right arm was beginning to bruise from the needle.

"All done," he said, breaking the silence. Teyla held the small pad of cotton-wool against her arm as he got up to get a piece of tape.

He secured it to her arm, and sat down again. "So, what did you want to discuss?"

Teyla sighed. "I want to take a break, go on vacation for a week," she said.

Dr. Conrad frowned slightly. "I see. Well, I know you haven't had a break in a while Teyla, but I would prefer to continue with the simulations for a while longer."

Teyla shook her head. "We can continue after my vacation, can we not?"

Dr. Conrad nodded. "Well… Yes, but we are making so much progress right now, and I would rather continue our sessions regularly," he answered.

Teyla felt trapped all of a sudden. What was wrong with her taking a vacation for a while? It was as if they wanted to keep her with her, and that she wasn't actually allowed to do anything without their permission.

She cleared her throat nervously. "I apologize, but I really do need a break, and I do not think I need permission to do so," she answered.

Dr. Conrad tilted his head to the side. "You don't, but why do you need a break all of a sudden? Are you having side-affects you haven't told me about?" he asked.

Teyla's eyes widened. "No, I do not. I just need a break, is that so peculiar?"

He narrowed his eyes, but didn't comment on her lie – if he saw through it. "Ok, I'll see you in a week then," he answered.

Teyla sighed, the tension in the air lessening. She smiled a little. "Good, thank you," she answered, hurrying out of the room before he could change his mind.

**-Earth, unknown location-**

Dr. Conrad sighed. He hadn't anticipated this. They needed to observe Ms. Emmagan at all times, and this was going to make it much more difficult.

Things had just started to progress, the simulations were going well, and they were getting more and more information each time.

He picked up his cell phone, calling their undercover agent. "Miss Parker?"

"Yes?" came the response.

"We've got a problem. Ms. Emmagan has asked for a vacation, and will have a week off. We need you to stay with her at all times," he told her. "Do you understand?"

"Yes sir**.** I will not let her out of my sight."

"Good. Oh – and another thing. She's hiding something, maybe a side-**e**ffect. If she's remembering anything, find out what it is."

"Understood sir."

The doctor sighed. The agent was good at what she did, and would find out what Ms. Emmagan was hiding.

**-Earth, Heather's apartment-**

Heather hung up the phone. She would visit Teyla as soon as she got home, and would spend much time with her this week.

Teyla trusted her, and would tell her what was wrong eventually. She just needed to be subtle about it, so that she wouldn't loose Teyla's trust.

If she did, her boss wouldn't be happy with her…

_-To Be Continued-_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Sorry for the delay guys! We're both pretty busy at the moment - fyd enjoying her well deserved vacation, and I am at the end of my school year, which means that I have a lot of work on my hands! :P  
Anyway, we hope that you enjoy this chapter! Feedback is loved :)_

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**Chapter 7:**

The tip came at one in the morning.

Ronon wasn't asleep, despite the late hour. He just paced his room like a tiger in a cage, waiting for morning to come so he could go out and rampage some more.

The local police had been called to an abandoned warehouse about ten miles east of Colorado Springs. The report had included reports of gunfire and other strange goings-on. Since the SGC had ordered the local authorities to alert them of any and all crimes and/or crimes scenes reported in the area, they were immediately notified of this development.

Detective Brandi Peters met the three remaining members of AR-1 as they arrived at the edge of the hundred-yard perimeter which loosely surrounded the warehouse. She briefly introduced herself, then jumped straight to the point – and down their throats. "About time you got here," Peters said. "What's the hoopla about, anyway? This is our jurisdiction."

In some ways Ronon admired the detective for being so straightforward. In others, he hated that quality – especially considering the fact that this little woman might be standing between him and Teyla's safety. He bit the inside of his lip and allowed Sheppard to respond, despite the angry words bubbling into his throat.

"Detective, we're not here to encroach on your territory. A very good friend of ours was taken recently, and we have reason to believe she may be held in there." The colonel pointed at the warehouse. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we'd like to do what we came here to do."

Peters' shoulders subtly straightened. "Yes sir. There doesn't appear to be in activity in or around the warehouse, but we can't be sure if it's abandoned or not. There're lights on inside, and one of the officers we sent in to check the perimeter reported hearing a phone ring once. Other than that. . ." She trailed off and shrugged.

Sheppard nodded and narrowed his gaze on the building. Ronon shifted his hand to the grip of his blaster, knowing he may be only a hundred or so yards away from Teyla right now. _Come on, come on, hurry. . ._

"Let's go."

Ronon followed Sheppard across the expanse, McKay right behind him. He knew the only thing holding him back from being the first in line was his head injury. He'd been lucky the doc had even let him come in the first place. She hadn't been too amused by his leaving the infirmary before she was ready for him to.

Ronon would willingly submit to a month in the infirmary – but he needed to know Teyla's fate first. After she was safe – or at least he knew for sure what had happened to her – he would do whatever was asked of him.

His heart began to pound as they neared the door to the warehouse. The tension stretched as Sheppard waited a moment, listening for any movement on the other side of the door. When none was forthcoming, he turned the handle and then pushed the door open, sure to keep all but his arm protected behind the wall.

The door swung open silently, spilling a golden rectangle of light across the blacktop. Sheppard poked his head around the corner to look. "Clear," he said softly. He proceeded into the building, gun at the ready.

Ronon followed, his ears and eyes carefully attuned for any foreign sounds or movements. Nothing: just their echoing footsteps on the concrete, and McKay's harsh, rapid breathing.

"I don't think there's anyone here," Rodney whispered. "They would've blasted our heads off by now."

"Hush!" Ronon growled. "They _will_ if you're not quiet."

McKay relapsed into silence, but his wide eyes showed how worried and excited he was, too.

One by one they searched the rooms in the warehouse. One by one they found them empty of anything and anyone save a desk here and there, and beds in four of the concrete-walled, windowless chambers.

Rodney was the first to stumble upon it. Out of the corner of his eye, Ronon saw the scientist freeze in the doorway of the next room he was supposed to look in. His eyes were wide, his expression frozen in horror.

Sheppard and Ronon noticed McKay at the same time. They both crowded in behind the astrophysicist, weapons ready. They were faced with a lab – an obviously _abandoned_ lab.

A desk and chair sat against one wall, the dusty surface showing clean spots where a computer monitor and keyboard had once rested. In the middle of the room sat a gurney with a table of medical equipment next to it. The gurney had rumpled white sheets on it; leather restraints gapped open atop them.

Ronon firmly propelled McKay into the room with a hand on his shoulder. As soon as he could, Ronon slipped past the scientist and into the room. A cursory glance proved the room to be void of life: he'd expected no less. He holstered his blaster and slowly moved over to the bed.

The gurney was brand-new – it still had a factory tag dangling from one of the side rails. Ronon froze when he saw the rusty brown stains on the sheets.

_Blood. Teyla's blood._ Unconsciously, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. _They've hurt her. Ancestors as my witnesses, I'll make them pay for that._

Sheppard stepped up on the other side of the gurney. He gingerly pointed to the leather restraint, careful not to touch it. "See? Slight wear on the last hole – it's been used. If I had to make a guess, these leathers were restraining a small person."

_Teyla._ They all thought it, but none of them said it. Teyla had been here, recently. They'd tied her down, hurt her, and moved her.

Ronon refused to think the word "kill." She still lived, wherever she was. Certainly whoever had taken her and brought her here had planned out everything very carefully.

Rodney indicated the two bloodstains. "You said you saw blood on her face when you saw her right after the crash, right?" At Ronon's nod, McKay pointed to the stain closest to the top of the bed. "This would match a head wound." He moved to the other. "If they removed her locater chip here, this would account for this one. It's about the right place, considering her size and where her arm would have been on this gurney."

Sheppard muttered an unkind word, and Ronon nodded in agreement. "I'm going to go get Detective Peters," he said. Then he made a hasty escape from the room.

Before he exited the buildings to retrieve the detective, Ronon crouched in the middle of the hallway leading to the front door. He rested his elbows on his knees, then hid his face with his hands. _Teyla, wherever you are. . . Please, please, _please _be okay. And know, I'm trying to find you. . ._

**-Earth, Teyla's apartment-**

"Are you crazy? David Hasselhoff is _totally_ cuter!"

Teyla slumped in the corner of her couch and glared at Heather from beneath scowling eyebrows. "No way, Heather. Jason Momoa is _the cutest thing_ on Earth."

She shrugged and reached her hand into the bowl of popcorn between them. "To each her own," she sighed dreamily.

It was nice, being on vacation. So far, she and Heather hadn't even left each other's apartments yet. They were having marathons of girl movies and _Baywatch_. It felt nice just being a regular woman, able to talk about cute guys on TV and giggle like a girl. With a job as stressful and businesslike as hers, it was nice to be able to sit down and relax for a while.

They settled back to watch again, occasionally trading comments back and forth about the plotline, or the characters, or the interspersed jest about one or the other's favorite actor.

After _Baywatch_ went off, Heather got up to put in another chick flick. As she opened the tray on the DVD player to put the movie in, she casually said, "Hey, Teyla – I noticed you were talking a lot in your sleep last night."

Teyla threw a pillow at her friend. "Okay, do we have to get into that? I was tired. I cannot help it that I fell asleep on your couch at four in the morning. _I_ had to work yesterday."

"I know." Heather dropped down on the sofa and fast-forwarded through the ubiquitous movie previews at the start of the movie. "But what I'm saying. . . I guess what I want to say is, you were talking about people – well, maybe I should say one in particular. Who's 'Ronon'? Someone cute I should know about?" She grinned.

Teyla hid her face in her hands. "Come on, Heather. I have not had a date in a very long time, you know that. Ronon – is someone in the training scenario I'm in. I keep dreaming about him."

Heather paused the DVD and leaned forward. "Okay, spill. Is he cute?"

"_Heather!_" Teyla protested. "He is not even _real_."

"He _is_ cute then!" her friend squealed.

Teyla groaned. "_Yes,_ he is cute. Happy?"

Heather lounged back against the cushions and tucked her bare feet under her. She grinned, blue eyes sparkling. "I am now." She pressed _play_ to restart the movie; paused it again to ask another question. "Jason Momoa cute?"

"Heather, leave it alone!" Teyla protested, but she was laughing now.

"Okay." She dropped the subject, and the two women returned to their movie. But the thought lingered at the back of Teyla's mind: _Yes, Heather – I think I might _actually_ be in love with a character in a training scenario. What does that mean?_

**-Earth – SGC-**

His head hurt again, physical pain to match the emotional agony that tightened his chest.

They'd been so close. He knew they had to have been. There was no way it could have been _that_ long since Teyla was in that building. It seemed like weeks ago that she had been taken from them – him. But it was only a couple of days. And he felt every dragging second of that time.

Ronon swallowed two pain pills and went to lie down. He'd left the light in the bathroom on with the door half-open. He absolutely refused to sleep in the dark. It was a weakness he'd never admit to anyone: he was actually _scared_ to sleep in the dark. It brought nightmares of his time as a Runner; now that Teyla was missing (he refused to think _gone_), he knew the dark would only make the nightmares twice as bad. So he left the light on to stave them off, despite the pain it caused his already-raging migraine.

Where was Teyla right now? Was she suffering? Was she screaming in torture, begging him to come rescue her? Or was she screaming inside, where her tormenters couldn't hear, desperate to keep Atlantis's secrets safe?

Ronon covered his eyes with his arm, let out a shaky breath, and tried to stop thinking about it.

But that didn't prevent the nightmares from visiting him that night.

_**-To Be Continued-**_

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_As always, thanks for reading! :D_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Well…I suppose we owe all the readers, if there are still any left (wink) a biiiig apology! We're so sorry for taking this long to update. We were both quite busy, and we promise to try to update more frequently! Meaning, not taking another 12? months in between. Oops. :$ Anyways, our apologies, and we hope you enjoy!_

**Chapter 8:**

Teyla yawned widely, not even bothering to hide it.

Heather was nodding off as well**. **Her head kept leaning to the side, and then she would snap awake again. Teyla peeked at the clock hanging on the wall: 3 in the morning.

Not quite as late as the time they turned in yesterday. But they did not get to sleep in very late this morning**,** either. Someone had called at 10, awakening them both. They had not been able to sleep again after that, so they had gotten up and started the day.

Teyla blinked a few times, trying to see in the dim light. The remote control was nowhere to be seen… probably stuffed under the pillows of the couch they were sitting on.

She could not even remember the title of the movie they were watching right now, let alone tell what it was about. But, she doubted Heather could either, so it did not really matter.

She stretched lazily for a moment, flopping back onto the couch. After some seconds passed, she managed to get off the oh**-**so**-**comfortable couch and turn the television off.

Heather opened her eyes slowly, staring at her for a moment. Then she closed her eyes once again, curling up on her side.

Teyla chuckled softly, walking towards her. The fleece blanket was partially under Heather**'**s body, and with some difficulty – and grumbling from Heather – Teyla managed to pull it out from under her.

She covered Heather's sleeping form with it, tucking it around her feet.

Yesterday and today had been so much fun. Just relaxing, doing nothing but things they were in the mood for. Heather was fun to be around, to argue with about men… and she did not mind being teased by her too much.

Teyla headed for her bed, happy they had decided to go to her apartment today. Her bedroom was chilly, the window still opened. She closed it carefully, with as little noise as possible.

Her bed was welcoming, and warmed her up quickly. Sleep tugged at her, her eyelids drooping. She gave into it, happy to get some rest.

The dreams about 'Ronon' and the others were still slightly disturbing, but despite that, it also felt… familiar, welcoming, and peaceful. Like – home. . .

**-Earth, SGC-**

As expected, Ronon turned and twisted in his bed all night. The nightmares made him restless and the pain did not stay away for long.

He awoke for the 5th time that night, shivering slightly, and covered in sweat. Ronon swallowed and took a deep breath, calming himself. He tiredly swiped at the drops of perspiration running down his forehead and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

The door of the bathroom had closed almost all the way, leaving only a narrow ray of light passing through.

He stood up on shaky legs, exhausted because of the sleepless nights, and still shaken up because of yet another terrifying nightmare.

Teyla was always in them, and he was lost in the dreams. Searching for her endlessly, always with the same result**:** he would either find her, and she would be dying in his arms. Or, he kept searching and searching, and he would never find her. Never see her beautiful brown eyes sparkle again, or her challenging smile. Never feel her Bantos rod connecting sharply with his legs or arms, dropping him to the floor with surprising speed.

And most of all, he would miss her touch. Just . . . random bushes of her shoulder against his, or her hand playfully hitting his arm. It always made his skin tingle, made him smile.

Ronon sighed heavily, pushing the bathroom door fully open. Thinking about this wouldn't make him feel better – nor would it help find her.

He turned on the shower, and went to grab a towel from the closet. A nice cold shower would do him good.

**-Earth, Teyla's apartment-**

Teyla awoke because there was someone jumping on her bed. Most likely Heather – so she did not feel like opening her eyes.

It felt like 5 in the morning, much too early for her to get up. Noon sounded good to her.

"C'mon sleepyhead!" Heather yelled, happily jumping up and down. "Time to get up!"

Teyla shook her head, hiding under the blankets. There was still a chance Heather would go away and that she could sleep for a couple more hours.

No such luck. . . Heather started tickling her, throwing the blanket off her. Despite what felt like the early hour – she couldn't help but start laughing when Heather found a sensitive spot in her side.

"Stop!" she managed to get out, wriggling to get away.

Heather stopped and sat back, grinning. "About time," she chuckled. "I thought I could never get you to wake up!"

Teyla sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes. "Well, perhaps that is because I would like to sleep in?" she suggested sweetly.

Heather shrugged. "We can do that later, we have a whole week you know," she responded. "Now – what do you wanna do today?"

"We _had _a whole week, two days have passed already," Teyla corrected. "Well – we could go shopping? Or… something else," she said, shrugging.

Heather nodded enthusiastically. "Shopping sounds good," she responded with a wide grin on her face.

**-Mall-**

"Why did we come here again?"

John sighed heavily. "_Because_ we need to get out of the SGC for a few hours**. **Being confined there is driving us all crazy**,** Ronon. And I couldn't think of a better place to go than the mall, because this is the closest – and I like it here," he finished, shrugging.

"Well," Rodney intervened. "I agree with Ronon. This place sucks…"

John rolled his eyes. "Well then, Rodney – what would _you_ suggest? The bar?" he asked, and then shook his head at Ronon – who seemed to be up for that idea. "Where we are _not_ going."

Ronon shrugged tiredly. He didn't _really_ mind… Sheppard could've picked out a better place, but the walls within the SGC _were_ driving him crazy. At least here it didn't feel like they were prisoners or something, and they were free to go wherever they pleased.

It was very crowded, and they had to push their way through sometimes. People passed them from every direction, faces gone before you could remember them. His head started to throb slightly because of all the noises around him. People talking, laughing…

"Sheppard?"

John looked up at him questioningly. "Yeah?"

Just as he was about to ask if they could go somewhere quieter, he caught a glimpse of someone familiar: brown hair, beautiful smile, petite form.

But – that couldn't be, could it?

His breath got caught in his throat and he suddenly felt much dizzier than he had a minute ago. He tried to get a closer look – moving forward through the crowd. Ronon pushed people aside desperately, scared to lose sight of her. Or… who he thought was her.

Ronon heard the voices of Sheppard and Rodney calling him in the distance, and he hoped that they were coming after him. There was no time to explain – he couldn't lose her. _Not again._

He could still see the top of her head – moving further away… Then her head turned, and for a moment he thought she'd seen him – a bewildered look on her face.

But it only lasted for a second or so – and then she was moving away again.

So far… he couldn't remember where she'd been a second ago – his eyes roamed through the crowd – searching for her. She wasn't there… she disappeared.

_He lost her again. _

**-Teyla's apartment-**

Heather joyfully summed up all of the 'awesome' items she had purchased before the other buyers had snagged them away.

Teyla smiled and hummed every now and then, playing interest. She was too confused right now to think about shopping – her thoughts messed up, and her feelings even more so. Had it really been him? Or was it just her imagination?

It could not have been him. He did not _exist_… But – still, the image of his desperate look did not fade in her mind. It lingered, and every time she closed her eyes she saw him, the pain in his eyes. He looked – broken.

--

_We hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading._


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Sorry for another long wait! Though not quite as long as previous times, we're still a bit slow on updating. That's the challenge of writing something together, not just one schedule to deal with! Anyway, here's chapter 9, enjoy!_

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**Chapter 9:**

"Ronon, what is the _matter_ with you?" John snapped.

"Leave me _alone_!" Ronon snarled. "I need time to think. To – to—" He gave up and began to pace again. "Just go away for a while."

For once the four plain grey walls of his quarters in the SGC were a welcome sight. He'd retreated immediately to his room, trying to sort through the thoughts spinning through his mind. They'd left the mall immediately, but the entire car ride home John and Rodney chattered nervously, shooting him nervous looks. He ignored them. He'd been _hoping_ to lose them here.

No such luck.

"What's going on? What did you see at the mall? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Sheppard said, frustrated.

"Maybe I have." Ronon spun to face him again. "You know, maybe I am going crazy. Maybe I've had one knock too many on my head in my life. Maybe the girl I saw at the mall wasn't Teyla. Maybe it was her twin sister. Or maybe I just want to see her so badly, I'm hallucinating. Or maybe it _is_ her ghost, coming back to _haunt_ me—" He trailed off and swallowed hard. He hadn't meant to say that. Any of it. But, Ancestors be praised, the rest of what he'd been about to say hadn't come out of his mouth. _Or maybe it is her ghost, coming back to haunt me, because I wasn't good enough to save her._

That _certainly_ would have caused a few problems. . . And, probably, put in cement his own diagnosis of being senile.

Sheppard stared at him for a while. He seemed to be considering something, brooding over every word, emotion, movement, Ronon had just displayed. "Well," he said at last, "if you are losing your mind, at least you're doing it spectacularly."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Ronon demanded sullenly.

"Nothing." John sighed. "Are you_ sure_ it was Teyla?"

"No. I can't be _sure_. But – it looked exactly like her. It seemed for a second like, maybe, she recognized me. In her eyes, I thought I saw. . . But maybe that was just wishful thinking." Come to think of it, it probably _was_ wishful thinking.

John stood. "I'll go report it," he sighed. He hesitated awkwardly at the doorway, as if he wanted to say more. But finally he shook his head, sighed again, and left. The door shut behind him with a thump.

At last, Ronon had the solitude he craved. He swallowed two more pain pills – would the persistent ache in his head _never_ leave? – and flipped off the bedroom light so he could lie down. This time he made sure the bathroom door was propped open, so it wouldn't close again.

He knew he should be out there actively looking – particularly if the girl he'd seen _was_ Teyla. But, at least for a while, he wanted to escape from reality. He wanted to sleep, to dream of what it was like before this nightmare had started.

Inevitably, his wish was not granted.

**-Teyla's Apartment-**

After receiving a phone call from her sister, Heather left for a while. Teyla absently went about putting away the few things she'd purchased at the mall. After seeing Ronon – _someone who looks like him, rather,_ she wryly reminded herself – at the mall, she'd lost her enthusiasm for shopping.

Depressed, she tossed her new green blouse aside. When she purchased it, she loved the color and the general perkiness of the style. But now the deep jade color reminded her of the anguished eyes of the man in the mall. She folded it, shoving it in a drawer without cutting off the tags. Maybe, eventually, she'd be able to wear it.

With a load of clothes in the washer, Teyla got a bottle of water from the fridge and settled down on the couch. She flipped TV channels for a while, looking for something mindless – but funny – to watch. Eventually she settled on _Tom and Jerry_. It took her mind off her misery for all of half an hour. She flipped the TV off after the cartoon ended, her humor going black with the screen. Sighing, she tossed her bottle in the trash can she used for recyclables and went back to her family room. For a while she stood in the middle of the room, hands on hips, looking around. Everything was spic-and-span. It hadn't been long since she'd cleaned the place, so it wouldn't do her any good to dust or sweep.

_Maybe a shower will help._ And it did, for as long as she was under the warm spray. Then she was left with nothing to do but let the gloom take over again.

This was going to be a very, very long day.

**-Earth, SGC-**

"Quite frankly, I'm worried," Sheppard admitted.

O'Neill's eyebrow went up. "We all are, but—"

"All due respect, sir, that's not what I mean. Well – granted, Teyla's being missing is putting pressure on all of us. She's our friend. But . . . I'm not – sure – but I think Ronon is more of her friend than he – or she – has been letting on." John bit his lip, somehow feeling like a traitor.

The general's other eyebrow went up to join the first. "Hmm," was all he said, however.

_Enigmatic,_ John thought wryly. "This hasn't been causing – problems before now," he admitted.

"What kind of problems are there now?" Jack, if possible, had gone even _more_ deadpan.

Sheppard began to wish he'd kept his mouth shut. "Nothing _horrible_," he said, backtracking. "It's just – Ronon seems very depressed. He about lost it the night we found the warehouse; whenever we return to base he closes up in his room, won't talk to me or Rodney; and when we finally _dragged_ him to the mall, he said. . ." He bit his lip, wondering if he should say this. ". . . He said he saw Teyla there." _Well, the damage is done. . ._

"Hmm," O'Neill repeated maddeningly. "That's interesting."

_What's interesting?_ he wanted to ask, but didn't. Instead, he kept quiet and waited for the general to ponder this a while.

"Did he?" Jack finally asked.

"See Teyla?" John needed clarification.

"Yes. Did he see her?"

Sheppard shrugged uncomfortable. "Well – he pretty much seems convinced he did."

"Then I'm inclined to believe him. Sometimes we – we in general – know things. It seems irrational, particularly in situations such as this. Against all the odds, those for whom we search still live, and wouldn't it be a darn good hiding place, to put her right under our noses, where we wouldn't look. . ." He trailed off, smiling.

John was never quite sure what to make of his conversations with Gen. O'Neill, and this one was no different. However, something did seem clear – he was, in a roundabout way, giving Sheppard clearance to keep Ronon on the search team. Which would be good, since he was the best tracker John had ever seen . . . "Yes sir."

"Any other issues you'd like to discuss?"

"No sir."

"Very good. Dismissed, then."

John left the office feeling like nothing had been resolved. Except. . ._ Maybe they _are_ hiding her under our noses, like the General suggested. It's worth a look. . ._ He changed directions, away from where he'd been about to go. _I'll talk to Rodney first. Might as well give Ronon a little more time to cool down. . ._

**-Earth, SGC-**

_Blackness. Everywhere he looked, darkness rose up. Except – there was one pinprick of light, far ahead. He followed it – her. If he could just move a little faster. . . But the dark, it seemed to be holding him back._

_Teyla appeared to be unaware of him. She moved like she had somewhere very important to go, and little time in which to get there. He pursued her, calling her name every few feet that seemed to take him nowhere. She either didn't hear him – or didn't want to._

_Then she vanished, and he was in complete darkness again._

_He breathed in a ragged rhythm, hearing the sound bounce back to him as if in a tightly enclosed space. He swallowed back the knee-jerk reaction of his claustrophobia, brought on by years of Running, and methodically began to search the room. He knew he was dreaming: there was no other explanation for this. So he was determined not to let this one end like the others._

_His breathing eased back to normal; until then he hadn't noticed the other sound in the room. There was someone else there, with him, breathing. Even in, even out. Like clockwork, that breathing. He increased his steps, feeling around the darkness. He wanted very badly for it to be Teyla, but now his voice seemed to have stopped working. He didn't _want_ to call out, for fear it wasn't her. He couldn't take being disappointed again._

_He tripped. Immediately he threw his arms out, landing on his forearms on the floor. For a moment he lay there, on his stomach, cursing inwardly at the racket he'd just made. He tried to calm his heart rate and breathing so he could find the other sound again._

_There it was – only a few inches away from his right hand, it seemed. He swallowed hard and reached out, fingers brushing across the cold floor until they touched something soft, warmer than the concrete. He pulled himself forward and up onto his knees, hand seeking more of what he felt. Hair, he felt hair – it had to be Teyla's. He lifted his other hand; felt her arm. He moved his fingers up her arm to her shoulder, hoping to feel some response. At the same time he moved his right hand over her hair, trying to find her face._

_His fingers encountered something warm, sticky. He yanked his hand back, breath catching in his chest. _She's bleeding_, he thought. _No, no, not again. . .

Ronon jolted awake. _There's someone at the door,_ he realized. The banging didn't let up, keeping perfect tune with the throb in his head. "Wait!" he yelled. He wondered whether he should just let them in and face them, or not. "Come in!" he called, then went to the bathroom and shut the door.

"Ronon?" It was Sheppard.

"Just a minute!" He picked up the bottle of pain pills the doctor had given him and threw them in the trash can. No way was he taking more of those – every time he did he had a nightmare. He doubted the two were directly related . . . but there was no point in taking chances.

Ronon carefully avoided looking at his reflection in the mirror as he splashed cold water over his face. He opened his eyes to reach for a towel, then caught a glance of himself in the mirror. Face pale, eyes dark and sunken. . .

. . . And his head wound was bleeding again. _Crap!_ He reached for the towel and pressed it to his head. The doc would _kill_ him for this. He must have popped his stitches while he was asleep – that explained the blood he'd felt while asleep.

There came a knock on the door. "Ronon? You okay, buddy?"

_Sheppard!_ Ronon had completely forgotten about him. "Fine," he growled sarcastically to his reflection. "Just fine." He went to open the door, meeting his team leader's gaze with an intense scowl. "I popped my stitches while I was asleep. Doc's gonna kill me."

"Yikes." Sheppard's expression flickered a little, like he wanted to say something, but then he seemed to change his mind. "Come on; let's get you to the infirmary."

"What'd you come to see me about?" Ronon asked as they left his quarters. They paused by the elevator, waiting for it to reach their floor.

Another hesitation, this one a little longer. "Nothing. It can wait."

"Sheppard . . ." Ronon growled. He wasn't in the mood for playing the avoidance game of which the Earthlings seemed so fond.

The colonel sighed and gave in. "It's just – you haven't been reacting the way I've expected you to. You must have been knocked on the head_ really_ hard."

Ronon stalked into the elevator first, propping his back against the wall. He ignored Sheppard as the shorter man punched the elevator button for the infirmary level. "What do you want?" he snapped after the doors closed.

"I don't know—" Sheppard hedged. "What do you want to tell me?"

Ronon shook his head. "I can't believe I'm standing in an elevator talking to you. We need to be out there finding Teyla."

"There we go." Sheppard nodded. "That's better."

Ronon glared. "Better than _what_?"

He shrugged. "You've been sulking around like a guy whose girlfriend just broke up with him. What's your problem?"

"I don't want to talk about it." The doors open, and Ronon rushed through them. "I'll meet you in the cafeteria as soon as Doc lets me go. We can discuss new strategies to find Teyla then." He let the infirmary door slap shut between him and Sheppard, making it clear he wasn't invited into the room with him.

As Dr. Lam scolded him and re-stitched his head, Ronon tried to figure out what he could possibly say to Sheppard. He had a feeling he knew what the colonel wanted – but he wasn't sure what the answer to that question was, himself.

They'd have to find Teyla, first, before he could give the man a clear answer.

**-Earth, unknown location-**

Heather hated being stuck in traffic. Even with the windows down to welcome in the unseasonably warm air, and the radio on to her favorite music, it still gave her far too much free time in which to think. Normally she enjoyed thinking through problems, about her latest assignments, but this one – _this one_ was different. Over the time she'd been spending with Teyla Emmagan, she realized she'd stopped seeing her as an assignment and more like a friend. They had lots in common, and there were so many things that were inherently _good_ about her. Usually her assignments bored her, and it wasn't hard to keep distance. But this one was far harder than any of the others her past had offered.

She knew about the Stargate Program – about other planets, and galaxies, and the once-mythical city of Atlantis. She knew the people whom Teyla thought of as "simulation characters" were real. And no matter how much the woman denied it, Heather knew the Pegasus galaxy native was in love with Ronon Dex. But not the character, like Teyla thought, but the man himself, who lived, breathed, existed, and – without a doubt – was looking for her right now. Occasionally the way Teyla talked about him, the way her eyes lit up when she said his name, gave away her attachment to him. She'd passed it off as a deliberate setting of the simulation, but Heather knew better. Sometimes the urge to tell Teyla the truth was so strong, it was hard to resist. As a romantic at heart, she wanted to let Teyla know the man she loved existed, to go after him, then hold on to him with all her strength and never let him go.

But she couldn't.

For the first time since the IOA had hired her, Heather _hated_ her job.

_­-To Be Continued-_

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_


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